Ben Hoyer is the founder and director of Downtown CREDO, a social enterprise focused on improving quality of lives by cultivating networks of meaning, impact, and community, the President/COO for Rally: the Social Enterprise Accelerator and board chair for Orlando Together.

CREDO operates three name-your-price coffee shops; leads CREDO Conduit, a co-working society convening Orlando’s creative class, and facilitated the emergence of two innovate non-profits. The net effect of these efforts is a burgeoning network of people from all levels of affluence taking up lives of meaning, impact, and community.

Finding himself in the social-enterprise and coffee world almost by accident, Ben has followed where the CREDO has led him. It’s a statement of conviction that is calling folks to action and improving their Quality of life.

About RepScrubs:

RepScrubs provides health care facilities with time-sensitive vendor attire that improves infection prevention and vendor management protocols while reducing costs. The RepScrubs system includes real-time vendor tracking reports for hospital staff about who has been in the OR.

Jeff’s Bio:

Jeff Feuer is a former sales director for a major medical device company. Feuer was sending reps into operating rooms for years when he noticed a problem with how vendors were handling their scrubs: leaving the hospital, going to Starbucks, coming back to the hospital, going home to their families – many times wearing the same pair they wore in the OR.

Link:

RepScrubs: https://repscrubs.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/feuerjeff/

For some time, Dr. Munro and Dr. de la Roza had observed the anxious expressions of family members on returning to the waiting room at the end of the surgery, and their sense of relief on learning that all had gone well. They started texting updates to nervous families throughout their child’s surgery.  At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do.  Little did they know that they would be transforming medical communication and opening a window into the operating room.

At the end of the surgeries, families were overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation for a simple picture of their loved one or a short text explaining what was happening during the surgery.  Families repeatedly told them that it was as if they “never left their loved one’s side”, and had never felt “so at ease” while awaiting the outcome.  Following extensive research, Dr. Munro and Dr. de la Roza soon realized that a text update approximately every thirty minutes could impact the waiting room experience like nothing before.  The addition of pictures and videos from the operating room only served to enhance that experience.

As they updated more families during surgeries, the surgeons themselves began to take notice and became more involved.  Dr. William DeCampli, a pediatric cardiac surgeon and the co-director of The Heart Center at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, began updating families with a short video at the end of the surgery to let them know “your little one did great and I will be out to see you shortly.”  The impact of this type of medical communication was tremendous.

Dr. Munro and Dr. de la Roza started conceptualizing and refining their solution with the help of Patrick de la Roza to become an easy to use, HIPPA compliant software platform that they would call “Electronic Access to Surgical Events” or EASE.  The EASE system was developed, the apps were created, and on March 4, 2013 EASE Applications, a company dedicate

Fred B. Clayton

President and CEO, Orlando Union Rescue Mission

Freddy Clayton is a fifth-generation Floridian who joined the Board of Directors of the Orlando Union Rescue Mission in 2010. He served as Vice Chairman until he became President and CEO in 2015. He began his professional career as a lawyer, handling litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts, and left the practice of law to enter business. He co-founded and sold two successful businesses, the first of which manufactures systems that generate and dispense fragrances for commercial applications. The second company creates and distributes interactive, web-based training programs for medical personnel. He received his A.B. from Davidson College and his J.D. (with honors) from the University of Florida College of Law. He and Susan, his bride of 40 years, raised their two grown sons in Orlando. Freddy and Susan are members of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Orlando, where they have been active in leadership roles and various ministries since they joined the church 30 years ago.

One of our significant efforts over the past two years is to educate the community about the Mission’s programs and objectives. Most folks think we are a shelter for slightly dangerous men, and that we house those guys every night, feed them supper and breakfast, and then release them every morning to torment nearby neighborhoods. That impression is hugely misleading. Our ministries focus on long-term residential programs that equip our guests to escape homelessness permanently. Guests live with us for an extended period, typically from six months to two years, while they get the education training, counseling, and other assistance to enable them to live independently and self-sufficiently for the rest of their lives. We have two major facilities – our Men’s Home where 120 single men live wit

Bill Peppler, COO of Kavaliro

With more than 20 years of experience in the technology, financial staffing, and consulting industries, Bill Peppler, COO is responsible for overseeing operations and developing additional new markets for Kavaliro across the United States. Before coming to Kavaliro, Peppler worked in the Orlando, Seattle and San Diego markets for international staffing and recruiting organizations. He has recruited for clients such as Microsoft, Amazon.com, Boeing and various Fortune 500 customers. After establishing an office in Seattle, he was offered an opportunity to do the same for clients in Southern California. He has been recognized as an employment expert in such publications as CNN Money, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Inc Magazine, Fortune Magazine, Orlando Business Journal and The Orlando Sentinel among others. Peppler has lead Kavaliro to being named as a Best Place to Work in various Business Journals, successfully had Kavaliro named to the Inc. 5000 7 consecutive years, and has brought about technical innovation that provides custom-tailored solutions. 

Peppler is also a Founding Partner of the successful HR technology company, FYRE, which had a successful exit through strategic acquisition to Peoplenet/BullHorn in only 36 months and is still a leader in the HR automation industry.

Peppler received his BA degree from the University of Central Florida in 1996 and a Master’s degree in Business Management from Troy State University in 2002.Honors:

Ethan Founders Story

As far back as he can remember, GoodTix Founder and President, Ethan Curtis, knew he wanted to work in entertainment.  “I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I always knew it would involve entertainment.  I wanted to bring people together to share special moments.”  His lifelong passion led him on a circuitous path of varying roles; from performer to songwriter to event producer to owner of what has become Florida’s premier recording facility, Plush Studios.  Eventually, Ethan landed in talent management, where he found immediate success helping to build the career of Gen-Z phenomenon, Baby Ariel.  By the end of his first year working with Ariel, she had amassed over 40-million followers online, secured a major record deal with Atlantic Records and a book deal with Harper-Collins, produced and starred in her own web series, launched her own clothing line, penned a multitude of major brand deals including partnerships with Converse, Neutrogena, EA Games, Instagram, MTV and Nickelodeon, had been named “one of the most influential people on the Internet” by TIME Magazine, graced the cover of Billboard Magazine, and landed a spot on Forbes’ 2017 list of “top entertainment influencers.”

“The success we had found with Ariel’s project was amazing.  In that first year, it seemed as though a week couldn’t go by without us receiving some new sort of accolade encouraging yet another self-administered pat on our own backs.  It was nice at first, but after a while, my sense of accomplishment didn’t match up with the success that others seemed to perceive. The honors we were getting acknowledged that we were doing better than others in our field, but they didn’t confirm that we were doing any good.  I had landed the cool job I had always wanted, but I was now at an age where cool alone didn’t do it for me anymore.  I began to seek out a deeper sense of fulfillment from my work.”

Results-driven with over 20 years experience in developing, recognizing and bettering products, Lydia Chicles developed much of her expertise working in creative & management roles in the magazine and design industry. Involved with Magazines Canada, an influential industry advocate, she leads the efforts and navigated the changing world of the print industry which was especially significant in helping shape her understanding of digital media and early adoption. Lydia began her globetrotting experiences early on. Born in Greece, living in South Africa, Canada and America, she had the opportunity early in her career to go on buying trips to India, where she honed her skills.

After founding BOLD! Technologies, a mobile applications and technologies full-service agency. BOLD! has been recognized 3 years in a row by Clutch.co as a top mobile applications development agency. Thousands of companies from around the world are listed on Clutch, but only the most highly recommended global leaders are distinguished. Having expanded BOLD!’s capabilities to include fintech, blockchain, cybersecurity, R&D, start-up and business consulting, and a suite of company-owned platform as a service (PaaS) products, Lydia went on to produce Community Event Apps, with the vision to offer this as a mobile solution to organizations enabling them to grow their revenues, activate community engagement and participation for a cause. She continues to advocate for her strong beliefs of being resource responsible and creating economic opportunities that have lead to international adoption of the products, platforms and connected technologies she leads.

Lydia is proud to now serve as a Member of the Board at NAWBO National. She continues to be a leader in her field and the voice for women in technology, a proponent of women owning their business. Her recent recognition by Orlando Business Journal, as a Women Who Mean Bus

Rob Panepinto is an innovator who has always challenged the status quo of “good enough”. Rob has helped Orange County become a hub for technology, entrepreneurship, and creativity. He is passionate about the positive impact businesses and business leaders drive for their communities and is an active “civic entrepreneur” serving on multiple civic and nonprofit boards.

Rob Panepinto is President of Florentine Strategies, which provides board support, strategic consulting, and investment capital for healthcare, social enterprise and technology companies. Rob is also the CEO of Entrepreneurs in Action, who manage a social venture fund that invests in local social enterprises, helping them create successful businesses and jobs while addressing community and global social needs.

Rob is a Founder and Board Chair of Orlando’s Social Enterprise Accelerator, Rally, a partnership between the Central Florida Foundation, Rollins College, the City of Orlando, and other community partners. Rob is the current Chair of the Central Florida Foundation board, immediate past chair of Orlando, Inc. and is a Board Member member for the Orlando Economic Partnership. He also serves on the Board of Stater Studio, Rollins’ Crummer Graduate School of Business Board of Overseers and its Rollins Center for Advanced Entrepreneurship. He has served on the Operations Committee of the Central Florida Expressway Authority. He is also a member of the Young Presidents Organization.

Rob was a 2018 candidate for Orange County Mayor.

Previously, Rob was part of the founding executive team for Connextions, helping them grow from a small manufacturing company to become an innovative healthcare technology and services company based here in Orlando. Connextions was sold to Optum in 2011.

Dena Jalbert, Align Business Advisory Services

Dena Jalbert is founder and CEO of Align Business Advisory Services, a mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and business advisory firm based in Winter Park, Fla. Align was founded in 2010 with a mission to break the mold of the traditional advisory firm and is built on the core principles of service, diversity, innovation and value creation. Align leverages its deep industry and business knowledge to provide innovative solutions and align its clients’ business results with their objectives to create value. The company offers management consulting, business strategy, finance, and M&A services to holistically serve the middle market.

Jalbert leverages her nearly 20 years of success in building, scaling, and buying and selling businesses to accomplish her clients’ goals. Her career experience spans many years in “Big 4” public accounting and consulting firms, in addition to holding executive positions with Fortune 500 and hyper-growth middle market companies. An expert in M&A, Jalbert has facilitated nearly $1 billion of buy and sell-side transaction. Jalbert is a certified public accountant (CPA) and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in public accounting from Illinois Wesleyan University.

Links Mentioned In The Show:

https://alignba.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/denajalbert/

https://www.instagram.com/alignbusinessadvisory/